Which it shouldn’t be. I’ve studiously checked the flow of energy through the Vestibule, and it’s all one way. Though it’s hard for me to examine exactly what happens in the Nave, I can’t detect any hint of something leaving me and going to them, so I can’t explain it. Nonetheless, it feels as if it’s true.
[Eldest!] I’m greeted by Cobalt. Of all the ants, she’s certainly someone I didn’t expect to see here.
[Shouldn’t you be back at the nest taking care of all the expansion projects up there?] I ask suspiciously.
She holds both antennae straight up in the air.
[No thwacking!] she cries. [All the projects are running smoothly, and we delayed the timetable for expansion in order to make sure there aren’t any mistakes. Since I didn’t have anything to do, I thought I’d come down here and help with the research and construction going on.]
Research?
[You guys found some interesting stuff?] I ask, curious.
[Oh yes,] she nods, thankful that I’ve been distracted from more dangerous topics. [The scouts identified a new type of ore that we are currently testing. It’s saturated in Fire Mana and incredibly heat resistant. We can think of hundreds of uses for it, but so far, we haven’t managed to smelt it. Either we can’t make a fire that’s hot enough, or there’s another method we haven’t discovered yet.]
Interesting…
[Well, I’m sure you’ll think of something.] I’m not going to be the one to puzzle out this mystery,;I leave that to the smarter ants. [In terms of building, what are the carvers working on down here?]
Once again, she backs off as if frightened that I might discipline her. I’m not that scary!
[Just defensive works! Honest! I’ve even been sleeping properly, no abductions for a week!]
One week? That’s it!
[Just how often were you getting captured?] I ask, my antennae quivering with barely concealed anger.
[Not… that often.]
[Rest is important!]
THWACK!
After dispensing justice to the remorseful carver, I head off to find my three favourite rock-covered people in the whole world. That is to say, Granin, Corun, and Torrina, who made the journey over to Orpule not that long ago. As expected, I find them working with the core shapers, assisting in the research and practice of the caste as they experiment with the precious few demon cores to see what they can come up with. I have to say, if they manage to fold a shadow beast and a demon together into one monster, I’ll be impressed, though I have no idea how useful the resultant monster would be. Perhaps they’d be better off putting different types of demon together?
[Hey there, Granin!] I give him and the gang a friendly wave as I approach. [How’s things treating you?]
He barely looks up at me before he grunts over the mental connection.
[You still haven’t evolved yet?] he says.
[You can’t be serious!]
[What if I am?]
I stare at the stubborn old slab of granite, a touch exasperated, and Torrina comes to my rescue by stepping into the mental link.
[I think Granin is just a little concerned. We’ve been taking measurements of the mana levels here in the third stratum, and there are signs that they may already be starting to rise again…]
I stare at her, gobsmacked.
[Another wave? Already?!]
[No, not for a month or two, perhaps more, but it’s disturbing nonetheless,] she says. [After the last two waves, the readings never fell back to normal. In fact, after the last one, they fell even less than after the first. If this pattern continues…]
[This is evidence that your theory might be correct, that another Cataclysm is on the way…]
That ain’t good.
[Nothing is certain.] Corun holds his hands up. [This could just be nothing and we might find that the concentration of energy begins to fall again over the next few weeks.]
I’m not even sure if he believes it…
[It won’t,] Granin rumbles over the mind bridge, his thoughts unusually still. [We don’t have much time until they come up for us.]
He lifts his head and looks me in the eyes.
[So why haven’t you evolved yet?]
57. Limits? We Don’t Need No Stinking Limits!
The demon infusion program started shortly after our expansion began within the third stratum. It became clear quite quickly that a steady supply of demon recruits would be needed to fuel our ambitions, especially if we wanted them to be a regular and meaningful contributor to our conquests. Normally, this would happen naturally, as there is always a flow of demons that battle and survive on the plains below, reaching tier six and then ascending to join their cousins on the plate cities above.
The issue we encountered was that this process seldom gave rise to demons who had maximised their potential through the early evolutions, particularly the first two. A demon larva lives a truly brutal and savage existence, fighting constantly, consuming what Biomass it can in the flowing melee and mutating rapidly in order to gain whatever edge it can over its innumerable enemies. Although it doesn’t take long for the larvae to absorb enough mana to form their cores, given the density of the energy at this level, half of tier two larvae evolve without forming one. Desperate to survive, they reach for the quick power a fast evolution will provide.
These stunted larvae seldom go on to reach any higher, becoming food for their brethren who achieve a more powerful evolution. This is quite wasteful and inefficient, something the Colony has never been prepared to tolerate. It’s impossible to observe and assess each and every larva, but with great effort, the Colony was able to create a system whereby promising larvae would receive support to ensure they achieved perfect evolutions up to tier four, whereupon they would be allowed to make their own way.
Although imperfect, this greatly improved the quality and strength of the demons who joined those cities under the influence of the Colony, something they greatly appreciated and repaid many times over with their savagery and enthusiasm for battle.
After absorbing this sober warning from Granin, I head back to where the gang is still sorting out their mutations and park my diamond-covered rear for a minute to consider my Levelling speed. It’s not as if I’ve been slacking off, and the hunting has been good, it’s just that the experience has been spread out over the group fairly evenly.
That’s not what Granin wants to happen; he wants me to force my pets to funnel me all the experience, as well as depend on the Colony to do the same. It wouldn’t even necessarily be wrong to do so. If I get accelerated to tier seven, then my friends will be able to enjoy my protection, along with the Colony, as I would be able to go toe-to-toe with our most powerful enemies without having to take massive risks or depend on surprise tactics to win.
Even so, it doesn’t feel right to me. During our extended hunting trips, I’ve been making sure that Brilliant is fed the lion’s share up until she maxes out, then letting everyone split our gains roughly evenly. I’m still ahead of my group in Levels, but not by a significant amount. Even my babysitters have been getting their share, since I forced them to take it. Although the flow of XP has been good, spreading it out over so many monsters has made the gains fairly low.
Idly wondering what Level I’ve even managed to reach, I bring up the menu and take a look.
Level thirty-five.